Mannose-Functionalized Nanoscaffolds for Targeted Delivery in Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Targeted drug delivery by nanomaterials has been extensively investigated as an effective strategy to surmount obstacles in the conventional treatment of cancer and infectious diseases, such as systemic toxicity, low drug efficacy, and drug resistance. Mannose-binding C-type lectins, which primarily include mannose receptor (MR, CD206) and dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN), are highly expressed on various cancer cells, endothelial cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells (DCs), which make them attractive targets for therapeutic effect. Mannosylated nanomaterials hold great potential in cancer and infection treatment on account of their direct therapeutic effect on targeted cells, modulation of the tumor microenvironment, and stimulation of immune response through antigen presentation. This review presents the recent advances in mannose-based targeted delivery nanoplatforms incorporated with different therapies in the biomedical field.

Keywords: cancer; drug delivery; gene therapy; mannose receptors; nanostructures.